The Most Senior Citizen / Woman, 105, may be oldest person to become American

Pamela Burdman, Chronicle Staff Writer

Published 4:00 am, Wednesday, June 14, 1995

Wen Tei Yue has witnessed her share of history: Born in China's Canton province in 1889, she lived through the Qing dynasty's final years, through the war of resistance against Japan, and through the first decade of Communist rule.

Now the 105-year-old matriarch has made her own mark on history -- federal officials say she may be the oldest person ever to become a naturalized citizen of the United States.

Yue took the oath of citizenship at a ceremony last month, but the Immigration and Naturalization Service invited her back for another naturalization ceremony yesterday to mark the milestone. Before a standing- room-only crowd of new citizens and their families, INS district director Thomas J. Schiltgen named Yue a "special naturalized citizen."

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Surrounded by family members ranging from her eldest son, 82, to her 2-year-old great-granddaughter, Yue looked flushed with pride as she accepted a bouquet of flowers from Schiltgen. Asked through an interpreter how she felt about the moment, she gave a simple response: "I'm proud to be a U.S. citizen."

It was a much more ceremonious event than when Yue's husband immigrated to the United States about 80 years ago. To circumvent exclusion laws that barred most Chinese from entering, Yue's husband and sons came into the country as "paper sons" of Chinese Americans who became citizens before the restrictive laws were passed.

They worked for years at a laundry near the corner of Eighth and Mission streets.

By 1959, the anti-Chinese laws had been repealed, and Yue managed to join her husband after nearly 40 years of separation. Since then, she has lived a quiet life as a permanent resident.

Recently, a new round of anti- immigration sentiment prompted Yue's family to convince her to become a citizen, said her grandson, Gary Yee, principal at Hillcrest School in Oakland. Congress is considering new laws to bar legal permanent residents from receiving welfare and other federal benefits.

"I think there was a concern (on her part), 'Who's going to take care of me when I get really old?' " said Yee.